Lititz-Lancaster Chapter Project Linus

Transcription

1 Lines from Linus! Lititz-Lancaster Chapter Project Linus July 2011 Volume 2011, Number 2 In This Issue Notes from Linford Project Linus Mission Where our Donations go What kind of blankets do we need? What else can I do to help? 2011 Quilting Bees and Yarn-Ins Drop Off Locations Blanket Tips Thank yous Received WOW! 30,633 blankets WebLinks Project Linus Headquarters Local Chapter Website Contact Linford Moyer Call or lrmoyer2@verizon.net Project Linus c/o Linford Moyer 328 N. Plum St. Lancaster, PA coordinator. Notes from Linford The Lititz/Lancaster chapter of Project Linus continues to support Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors. (TAPS This is a program to give patriotic red, white, and blue blankets to children of military personnel who die when on active duty. 67 blankets were shipped to TAPS in May of 2011 thanks to all the blanketeers and Sandy and John Horrex who coordinated and paid for the shipping of the blankets. Snowball Express is an organization that this chapter has been supportive of in the past. They have a continuing need for red, white, and blue blankets. Ladies, please continue your efforts in making patriotic blankets so that we can ship to Snowball Express in November of A Date to Remember! The 2011 Thank You Tea: Please mark your calendar for November 19, 2011 for the Thank You Tea at Landis Homes. RSVP to Jill Harsh at by early November, Blanketeers and quilters from this chapter came through in a big way for the earthquake and tsunami victims of Japan. By the last week of April, 2011, 274 blankets and quilts had been shipped to Texas on their way to Japan. Thanks to everyone who participated. Approximately 8500 blankets were donated by Project Linus chapters nationwide. Phyllis Davis is now the new chairperson for door prizes. If you have any items to donate as door prizes please Phyllis at dutchygram@windstream.net or call her at There are several new chapters of Project Linus nationwide, of which three are located in Pennsylvania. They are Gettysburg/Adams County with Merry Bush as coordinator, Franklin County with Sue Frederick as coordinator, and Huntington, Blair, and Centre Counties with Kathleen Russell as Forty fleece blankets were given to the annual burn camp for children. It was held at Millersville University during the last week of June. The Fashion and Fabric class at Solanco High School, taught by Erin Kallick, recently made and Lititz/Lancaster Project Linus July 2011 Newsletter Page 1

2 donated 15 blankets to Project Linus. The blankets will be given to the maternity unit at Ephrata Hospital. The Lititz/Lancaster chapter of Project Linus donated 30 quilts to Camp Chimaqua of Hospice during the first week of June. Thanks to the Conoy Lions Club who recently donated $500 to our chapter. Thanks to Mark Eisenberger who recently facilitated the donation of $500 by Rodgers & Associates. Mark is the husband of Dyan, one of our blanketeers. Campbell Soup Foundation recently donated $1,000 to our chapter. The donation was in appreciation of the volunteer efforts of Sue Loss, one of our blanketeers, and was facilitated by Wendy Milanese, Grant Administrator. It s our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer Blanketeers. As of the end of June 2011 numbers, our chapter has given out over 30,000 handmade blankets to children in need of your loving, handmade comfort. Please take a moment to smile and celebrate your achievement! Linford Moyer Article reprinted courtesy of the Reading Eagle Grace Endy has made and given away countless crocheted items in the more than 80 years since a neighbor taught her a valuable lesson along with how to work with a hook and yarn. If you don t make it wrong, you ll never make it right, she recalled Lizzie Heverling telling her, after ripping out Endy s first attempts at a few rows of a doily. The result is proof that Endy took those words to heart, learning from her mistakes and becoming an expert in her craft. Over the years, Endy, 91, made items such as ponchos, scarves, afghans, and bedspreads for family members. She made blankets with other women at a church in Mohnton, where she lived at the time. More recently, Endy donated 34 blankets to Project Linus, a volunteer program that provides what it describes as love, security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. Every one of the blankets was perfect. Some of them were Endy s own stitch designs. Some were in her favorite design, the traditional ripple stitch. All were done in pastel colors with trim in contrasting colors. Country Meadows, the Wyomissing retirement center where Endy now resides, provided the yarn. Endy finished the 34 blankets in less than a year, after making 25 for Project Linus in the year before. She already had another in progress before turning the 34 blankets over to Barbara Reinhold, a Shillington resident and the local representative for Project Linus, on April 7. Most of the blankets they give me do stay in Berks County, Reinhold said. Most of the ones Grace makes will go to the hospitals. Endy will never see the children who receive the blankets, but she said even the tiniest baby can be comforted by the feel of the soft yarn against a cheek. That image is one reason Endy keeps on crocheting. Another is her arthritis and neuropathy, conditions that would get worse if she didn t keep using her fingers, Endy said. It s good therapy and I enjoy doing it, she said. It s for a good cause. I hope I can continue doing it as long as I live. Project Linus Mission Fellow Blanketeers: The following description of Project Linus will be included in each newsletter. Please feel free to share your newsletter with friends. Hopefully the information provided will help newcomers understand our two-fold mission: Project Linus is a 100% volunteer non-profit organization with a two-fold mission. Lititz/Lancaster Project Linus July 2011 Newsletter Page 2

3 First, it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer Blanketeers. Second, it is our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children. Blanketeers, please remember every blanket you have donated has touched the hearts of children and their families. Please keep the blankets coming as you are "Making a difference". Where Our Donations Go Our blankets are donated to: Women s and Babies Hospital Lancaster General Hospital: Pediatrics and ER Milagro House Clare House Ephrata Community Hospital Hospice of Lancaster (Coping Kids Program) Deb s House Cleft Palate Clinic Mom s House Samaritan Counseling Center YWCA Love Inc. Lancaster Police Dept. Lampeter Police Dept. York Children s Home Women s Place and Family Works Berks County Women in Crisis St. Mary s Home for Teen Mothers Water Street Rescue Mission Welsh Mt. Medical & Dental Clinic Gettysburg Hospital and Pregnancy Centers Chiefs of Police in Warwick, Penn Manor, Mount Joy and Penn townships Family Promise of Reading Housing Development Corporation of Lancaster Opportunity House of Reading Church of the Brethren Youth Services Teen Haven Family Center of Gap St. Joseph Hospital Birthing Center of Reading What Kind of Blankets Do We Need? New, handmade, washable blankets for preemies through early teens. Blankets should be: MADE OF NEW MATERIALS Knitted, quilted (please include batting in quilts), crocheted, fleece, sewn, etc. Child friendly colors and patterns Sizes: 36 X 36 to 40 x 60 requirement by National Our chapter takes 30x30 as requested by one of our hospitals Our chapter also takes 24 wide by long for Ephrata Neonatal unit Important Reminders Lititz/Lancaster Project Linus July 2011 Newsletter Page 3

4 New, handmade, washable blanket materials should not contain any wool due to allergies of children. Material preferred for quilts: 100% cotton as it is softer for children Below is a statement posted by National Blanket Beacon: Please do not make your blankets out of tapestry, burlap, upholstery fabric, 70's type double knit, felt, vinyl, wool, or wool yarn. Please do not use fabric that has been stored in a damp area or has a musty smell. Mold spores can cause an allergic reaction in a child and are very difficult to remove from the fabric. Blankets that smell of smoke cannot be accepted. More information and free pattern links can be found on the local and national web sites. What Else Can I Do to Help? Donate stamps for newsletters (each newsletter mailing takes over $70 of stamps; so even a book of stamps helps defray the cost) Donate gift certificates from JoAnn Fabrics or AC Moore (enables us to purchase batting, material and yarn) Organize fund-raisers Check with your place of employment to see if they have a volunteer grant program application Organize a (church or scout) youth group to collect skeins of acrylic yarn to be made into blankets (each youth member could bring one or two skeins of yarn) Ask Linford for National s donation letter to present to a business who might contribute to our chapter Maybe you are wondering why we need fund-raisers for Project Linus. As we are strictly a volunteer organization, we have no funds unless we raise them ourselves. What do we need funds for? Each year we try to keep our members informed about our chapter, 3-4 times. Although we have many on our list, we still have nearly 160 newsletters that must be mailed and each mailing costs over $70. Thank you's are also mailed as well as reports required by National. Every Make A Blanket Day we have expenses for materials including batting, cotton fabric, etc. When we take on special projects such as Snowball Express we pay shipping costs. So as you can see, our chapter couldn't exist without income. Fund-raisers or donations from businesses are our primary means of gaining income. So if you are interested in organizing fund-raisers we could certainly use your expertise. Quilting Bees and Yarn-Ins QUILTING BEE DATES in 2011: Please join us at Landis Homes for a fun time in making quilts for Project Linus. Fabric kits are available. You just need to bring your sewing machine (if desired) and a sack lunch. We sew, tie quilts and enjoy seeing the quilts that others have brought with them. Come prepared to enjoy yourself while working on this worthwhile cause. 6 February 19, National Make a Blanket Day (MABD) April 16, 2011 June 18, 2011 August 20, 2011 October 15, 2011 Chapter Quilting Bee Location: Location is at Landis Homes community room. Directions can be found on our website Unless otherwise noted, quilting bees are from 10 am until 2 pm. YARN-IN DATES in 2011: Lititz/Lancaster Project Linus July 2011 Newsletter Page 4

5 The 4th Saturday of every other month crocheters and knitters gather at the Ephrata Library in the multipurpose room from 10 AM until noon. The multi-purpose room is located near the front entrance of the library. Yarn is available for free to be returned later as a blanket. For those unable to attend yarn-ins but desiring free yarn to make blankets, contact Linford at or at lrmoyer2@verizon.net. Yarnies are also very welcome at the Quilting Bees! There are comfy couches for you. January 22, 2011 March 26, 2011 May- none due to Memorial Day weekend July 23, 2011 September 24, 2011 Drop Off Locations Please include your name and address when you donate blankets. thank-yous. This allows us to send our Lititz- Jo Stauffer s house 14 Bentley Lane, Lititz. Call if directions needed. You may leave blankets on her porch anytime. Brickerville- The Ball and Skein Shop - Shopping center at Brickerville House during shop hours. Call Southern Lancaster County- Carol Cover s house 612 Georgetown Rd Ronks. Call for directions and drop off times Lancaster- KitNit Needlecrafts Old Hickory Rd. Lancaster. Hours Tues thru Fri 10-5; and Sat Call Leola- Curves New Holland Pike, Leola. Drop off during business hours. Hours: Mon/Wed 6 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 8 pm; Tue/Thurs 8 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm; Fri 6 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 7 pm; Sat 8 am to 11 am. Call for more info. New Holland- New Holland Rec Center N. Shirk Rd., New Holland. Drop off during Rec hours. Call for more info. Columbia- Sherran Payne s house 1373 Malleable Rd. Call for directions. Drop off anytime leave blankets on table on screened in porch. Elizabethtown- Christ Lutheran Church Office, 75 East High St. Weekdays from 9 to 3. Closed on Holidays. Call for directions or with questions. Willow Street- Legacy Yarn Co., 2611 Willow Street Pike. Drop off during store hours. The store is open from 10 am to 5 pm on Tues., Wed., Fri., and Sat. Call with questions. Blanket Tips Please be careful when storing blankets before dropping off. If blankets have a mildew smell they cannot be used. Blankets should be stored in a dry location. Again this is due to children's allergies, especially asthma, being triggered. Please remove all pins before handing in blankets Batting should be included in all sewn blankets (quilts) except for fleece If you are attaching labels but don t like hand sewing, the labels can be attached using Ultra Heat N Bond Please check for loose yarn ends before handing in blankets New, handmade, washable blanket materials should not contain any wool due to allergies of children Material preferred for quilts: 100% cotton, it is softer for children On fleece, remove printed salvage end before fringing or finishing Lititz/Lancaster Project Linus July 2011 Newsletter Page 5

6 If you attach your name and/or address to a blanket please use yarn or a return mailing address label - Remember all pins must be removed. Fleece blankets-single layer fleece are preferred as double layered are very heavy; check out links on the national and local websites for finishing ideas; fringes do not need to be knotted but can be cut with wavy scissors, etc. Please do not store blankets with mothballs as it renders them unusable. Yarnies- Please check yarns carefully for wool content as many new yarns are incorporating a low percentage of wool in their content and no wool is allowed in Linus blankets. It is no longer possible to track individual blanket donations due to the growth of this local chapter. Blanketeers will have to track their own numbers if they desire that information. The coordinator will only be tracking the total of incoming and outgoing blankets. Thank You Notes Received Thank you from Women and Babies Hospital: Dear friends at Project Linus, Thank you so much for the steady supply of blankets you send to Women and Babies Hospital. Our NICU parents love seeing the brightly colored blankets covering their little ones' isolettes. And then they get to take them home when baby is ready to go. Bless you all. Lori Roscoe Over 30,633 blankets delivered to children in need (as of end of June, 2011) Since the Lititz/Lancaster Chapter of Project Linus began 10 years ago over 30,633 blankets have found their way into the hands of children in need. Congratulations! Wow! Please keep up the wonderful needlework! Lititz/Lancaster Project Linus July 2011 Newsletter Page 6

7 Project Linus c/o Linford Moyer 328 N. Plum St Lancaster, PA 17602